Sub for shooter?
 

I was at my brother's game tonight and his team is on the line shooting two. There's a sub at the table, after the first he's beckoned in and tells the ref he's coming in for the shooter.

After the second one goes in, he comes in, but replaces someone else. Is there anything saying this isn't allowed? Or, if a ref asked, could the player just play it off as, "Coach changed his mind at the last second?"

Just one of those odd things I haven't seen before.

Nothing illegal about this.

I had this happen a couple of years ago. It seemed odd, but I see nothing illegal about it.

A sub can come in any time they are allowed by rule and can come in for anyone they wish. They do not have to declare anymore who they are coming in for. All they did was delay the substitution.

Peace

Old Dog, New Rules ...
 

JRutledge is correct. Note the word "anymore" because this was not always the case.

One great source of incorrect rule myths is old rules that somehow never die, and never fade away completely (with apologies to General Douglas MacArthur).

3-3: A substitute who desires to enter shall report to the scorer, giving his/her number.

Hmm. Is there more to that rule? That doesn't say the number of the player to be replaced. But I do seem to remember back when reporting as "25 for 31" - but no idea if it was required or just what we did.

This Old Rule ...
 

It was required in 2000-01. That requirement was removed in 2001-02. Thank God.

I can't think of a reason why you would want to do this, but could a sub report to the table before the 1st FT of a 2 shot penalty, intending to sub in for someone other than the shooter, and choose to wait until after the 2nd FT? For example, if a sub for the defending team is waiting at the table, does he HAVE to come in after the 1st?

To help set up the press. Coach should just wait until the shooter has the ball for the last FT.

And of course I've seen this scenario, where the Coach is basically holding his player back after the 1st, and waiting until the shooter has the ball for the 2nd, but can the substitute actually deny the official beckoning them on after the 1st free throw? The coach should just wait, but does he have to?

Relevant ???
 

Don't have to play a tick.

To answer your subject line, I don't believe that is relevant to this specific point, of whether or not a sub at the table MUST come on to the court before the last FT, or if they are allowed to wait until after that final throw has occurred.

Withdraw ???
 

Can't a coach withdraw a substitute and wait until the next opportunity to send the substitute to the X in front of the table?

Consider it a "withdrawn request" and then a "new request."

There are probably some who would say once the sub is beckoned, that sub becomes a player (unless disallowed by rule -- e.g., the sub is for the shooter) and must come in. I don't think that's a rule I'm going to enforce particularly strictly, unless it comes into play on a behavior issue.

I suppose one could make an argument that you could make him jump through the hoops in the right order. I'm not going to pick that nit.

And what bob said.